On February 25, the American Heart Association hosted its Go Red for Women luncheon at the Palmer House Hilton. Named after the association's February campaign—which honors women's contributions in eradicating heart disease—the luncheon was awash in its signature hue. "From the moment guests got off the elevator they knew they were on the right floor," said planner Francie Portrey of Anything's Possible Events. "Over 95 percent of the attendees were wearing red."
Before the luncheon officially struck up at noon, a town-hall-style meeting let guests ask questions of local physicians and healthcare professionals. "The town hall meeting had six speakers, and the stage was set with comfortable chairs, which I believe gave the speakers a more relaxed atmosphere rather than a traditional table-and-chair setup," said Portrey. A nearby room became an exhibition hall that offered health screenings and makeup touch-ups.
More than 600 guests sat to a booze-, butter-, and salt-free meal in the grand ballroom, where no traditional table numbers were found. Instead, "each table had a sign with the [hosting] company name and the American Heart Association logo," said Portrey. "I love this because it recognizes the companies who have purchased a table or sponsored the event. It also gives other guests that change to connect with other companies in the room." The lengthy list of represented businesses included Sun-Times Media, Macy's, Merck, and Mesirow Financial.
Guests left with heaving gift bags filled with more than 20 on-message items, including a CPR training kit. According to Portrey, getting the bags to the hotel was the afternoon's greatest logistical challenge. "We set up a shelving system in our truck, and each bag was carefully placed on the shelf," she said. Ultimately, each of the 600 bags survived the journey intact.
